In the News

FBI Director James Comey on Thursday defended the agency's use of surveillance aircraft over Baltimore during the April riots, adding that the planes were used at the request of local officials. "If there is tremendous turbulence in a community, it’s useful to everybody -- civilians and law enforcement -- to have a view of what’s going on," Comey told lawmakers during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee. "Where are the fires in this community? Where are people gathering? Where do people n... Read more

While some lawmakers remain convinced that simply attaching a few riders to a federal spending bill will protect legal marijuana states from the wrath of federal prosecution, others understand that a more concrete policy needs to be put into place before the cannabis industry can exist without the risk of catching Uncle Sam’s ire. One of those wise legislative forces is Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington, who recently introduced a proposal to the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at sto... Read more

OSO, Wash. -- From devastating floods to deadly landslides, it is not a matter of "if," but "when" another natural disaster will hit western Washington. So what can we do better now to be ready? Lawmakers and environmental experts are studying the deadly Oso landslide to try to answer that question. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, who is from the Pacific Northwest, toured the site where 43 people lost their lives along Highway 530. "It is heartbreaking to see the pictures of childre... Read more

OSO, Wash. --The vast emptiness of 43 lost souls filled the air Thursday at the Oso landslide memorial. Experiencing that for the first time was U.S. Interior Secretary and Seattleite Sally Jewell. "It's an eye opener," she said. The former REI CEO was clearly moved by scene of the March 2014 landslide, the most deadly in American history. "It's heartbreaking," said Jewell, choking back tears. "You see the pictures of children and moms and dads…it's tough." Jewell visited Oso to find out what US... Read more

OSO — Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell came to Oso on Thursday to see the aftermath of the mudslide that killed 43 people a year and a half ago. Jewell grew up in Washington and knows Highway 530 well from many trips to the back country. This was her first visit since the slide. “What's so striking to me, and I've driven this road hundreds of times, is how unremarkable and normal was the hillside that gave out,” she said. On a hill overlooking the slide zone on a crisp fall morning, Jewell... Read more

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell traveled to Washington Thursday to discuss heightened risk of natural disasters because of climate change. In Oso, Snohomish County, slammed by a mudslide that claimed 43 lives last year, Jewell and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, watched an earthquake- preparedness drill and walked the disaster site. And later in Seattle, Jewell met with a panel of scientists, environmental and tribal leaders on the topics of fire, floods, earthquakes, l... Read more

The former Microsoft executive Suzan DelBene is something of an outlier among her current professional colleagues when it comes to tech savvy. She’s doing what she can, though, to help educate her peers about the so-called internet of things device class that includes products such as the Microsoft Band she wears to work. Indeed, it’s one reason that DelBene – a US Rep. for Washington’s First Congressional District – co-founded Congress’ internet of things caucus this year. They may not be fluen... Read more

MOUNT VERNON — About 180 farmers and ranchers from throughout the state packed the auditorium at the Washington State University Mount Vernon Extension Center on Tuesday for a forum with U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. DelBene and Vilsack answered questions from WSU president Dan Bernardo for a half hour, then took questions from the audience for 45 minutes. Questions revolved around the newly-passed farm bill — which DelBene helped sh... Read more

SEATTLE - A quiet move in Congress puts preserving park land in Washington at risk. Money has been cut off for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Jeanie Robinson is president of the Friends of North Creek Forest. “It's going well with hundreds of people who've supported us,” she said as she walked into the 42 acres of woodland just five minutes from downtown Bothell. “There are about seven wetlands in this forest, and the original name of this area is called Spring Hill.” Robinson and her nei... Read more

GROWING up, my family struggled financially, but I was able to get a great college education with the help of student loans and financial aid. Together we must ensure today’s students have the same opportunity. Making higher education more affordable isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also crucial to maintaining America’s role as a global leader in the 21st-century economy. Last year, I heard firsthand from a low-income, first-generation student at Western Washington University who borrowed ... Read more